Norris brushes off critics of McLaren’s team approach
Lando Norris isn’t losing sleep over the negative reactions to McLaren’s handling of their driver battle with Oscar Piastri.
“We continue to do things our way, whether people agree with it is not our problem, and we don’t really care about that,” Norris said bluntly.
The British driver addressed the controversy during media sessions in Azerbaijan, showing he’s comfortable with how the team is managing their two-driver title fight.
The backlash came after McLaren’s controversial position swap at Monza, where Piastri was asked to give back a position to Norris following a slow pit stop for the Briton.
Norris wasn’t shocked by the negative reactions.
“Not in the world that we live in nowadays, because that’s all people want to do is be negative and talk badly about others. So honestly, not a surprise,” he explained in Baku.
He understands the media landscape all too well.
“You also need headlines, you also need people to read things, so not a surprise at all from my side.”
The 24-year-old seems unfazed by the noise surrounding the team’s decisions. For him, it’s just part of modern F1.
“It’s what you expect nowadays and I think in the world that we live in is more negativity than ever positivity.”
McLaren’s focus remains internal, with Norris emphasizing they’re “happy” with their approach. They’re trying to keep things fair between both drivers, even if fans don’t always see it that way.
“We want it to be fair, we want it to be equal for both of us, and people can comment whatever they like after that,” he added.
## The Monza controversy explained
The drama unfolded at the Italian Grand Prix when McLaren pitted Piastri early to protect him from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc attempting an undercut.
Things got complicated when Norris had a slow pit stop, putting him behind his teammate on track.
The team then made the call that sparked the controversy: they asked Piastri to let Norris back through.
This decision didn’t sit well with the passionate Italian fans. The McLaren drivers were booed during the podium ceremony, while the Tifosi showed their allegiance by chanting Max Verstappen‘s name instead.
## Championship battle heating up
With just a third of the season remaining, Norris finds himself 31 points behind Piastri in the drivers’ standings.
The pressure is mounting as each race becomes more crucial.
Meanwhile, McLaren could have something major to celebrate in Baku. If results go their way, they’ll secure the constructors’ championship for the second consecutive year.
This team achievement might help ease some of the tension surrounding their driver management – or it might just add more fuel to the fire as the individual title battle intensifies.
